one out of six

Sobering news in a festive season: Child poverty has grown faster in Colorado than in all but one other state in the union.

More than 200,000 children in Colorado — one out of every six — live in poverty. That’s almost twice the rate of a decade ago.

We can do better.

We can expand access to high-quality early childhood education, boost the supply of affordable housing, and increase the minimum wage. Yet this Congress is headed in the opposite direction, slashing programs that make a difference and stifling the prospects for progress.

According to Hunger Free Colorado, more than one-quarter of our state’s working families don’t have enough food to meet their basic needs. Here in Aurora, nearly two-thirds of our students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

We need lawmakers committed to solving these problems. Instead of bickering and backbiting, Congress ought to be taking steps to strengthen our economy and enable more families to climb out of poverty.